Bittersweet
by Wynteraeon
Summary: Jake is back from college. What does this mean for Sam? How does her family take it? When Wyatt does something drastic, how will everyone react?
1. Sweet Return

Samantha Forster was humming quietly to herself as she cleaned the horses' stalls. It was early evening and the light of the day was slowly fading. The pinks and oranges danced along La Charla and the wind quietly rustled in the trees. All was peaceful and calm, but Sam still couldn't shake that nervous feeling.

_What is wrong with me?_ She thought to herself_. Everything is fine, Jake will be here tomorrow and it will be fine…_She sighed to herself. _I can't even lie to myself properly_.

Sure, Jake was coming, that was the problem. Since that night at the bonfire, when he held her hand, she had seen very little of him. And they hadn't talked about it either. Before, her feelings had been slightly shallow; physical and emotional attraction, a crush.

But now, it was different. She knew…just knew, that she loved him; deep, pure love. The kind you read about in books, watch in movies and dream about at night. She dreamed of his beautiful eyes, running her hands through his soft hair, over his strong chest. She loved his soft-spoken ways and his quiet demeanour, how he always knew what to say to her and to everyone else. He was so kind, but tough too. He was a real man and she loved him so much.

But what about him, how did he feel about her? She could never tell what he was thinking; those mustang eyes were so hard to read. And what if he had found someone else at college? He'd been away for several years and hadn't visited at all. Not once!

Sam shook her head and sighed again. What was the use of all this thinking if in the end it got her nowhere? He would come and maybe he would stay. Who knew and who cared?

_You do,_ whispered a little voice in the back of her mind.

Her eyes clouded with tears. Maybe the reason he hadn't returned in all that time was because he was avoiding her. No, that was silly. He'd still want to see his family wouldn't he?

"Errrg!" Sam growled out loud to herself, "Just stop!"

She finished cleaning the stalls and meandered back to the house, worrying about tomorrow.

---

The morning broke sunny and clear. The rooster screamed his good morning call loudly, waking the residents of the Forster house.

Sam woke with a start. Today was the day. Hurriedly, she dressed and ate_. I want to look nice, but what if he notices that I'm trying to look nice? He'll know I love him! Okay, don't look TOO nice than. Right…_

The day wore on with no sign of Jake. The stress and anxiety was almost enough to make Sam throw up. She couldn't sit still; her leg or hand bounced constantly, agitatedly. To relax, she sank down beside La Charla and dreamed of what would…what could happen when Jake came.

"Sam! Honey, where are you?" Grams voice broke through Sam's reveries. "What are you doing over here sweetie?

"Just thinking. Do you need help, Gram?"

"No, we were just wondering where you were, that's all." Grace tucked a piece of silvery, white hair back into her bun and stared contentedly over the peaceful river.  
Thinking of Jake?" Sam nodded mutely.

"Don't worry, he's Jake. He'll always be Jake. Nothing can change that. Just like nothing can change the fact that you two will always be friends." Smiling, Grace kissed Sam on the top of the head and walked back inside the house.

_She's right_, Sam thought. _Worrying about it isn't going to change a thing_. Smiling for the first time that day, Sam skipped to the house, ready for anything.

---

"And then he kissed me…da dada…" Sam sang as she danced around, stirring the cookie dough. So engrossed in the song and cookies was she, that she didn't notice the door open and close. Oblivious, she didn't even hear the feet cross to where she was standing, nor notice the hands that reached for her arms…

"Brat!"

Giving a shriek of surprise, Sam dropped the cookie dough and spoon and spun around.

"Jake!" Forgetting her shock, she threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. "You're back! I can't believe it!" Pulling back she examined him.

His blue-black hair was shorter now and he was taller with broader shoulders, but he still had those mustang eyes and that mischievous tom-cat grin. _Gram was right, he's still Jake_. Laughing, she hugged him again, noticing how muscular he was.

"How are you, what's new, how was school, how's Singer…"

Jake cut her off.

"Slow down, Brat, let me catch my breath here. Well…to answer your questions: good, nothing, good, good. Any more?"

"Smarty pants. I mean it; you have to tell me everything. I haven't seen you in, what…three…four years?" I raised my eyebrows. Had it really been that long?

"Three years, yep, it's been a while. But I'm home now." He smiled at her softly.

_For how long?_ She couldn't find it in herself to ask him the question that had been bugging her since she'd heard he was coming home. She was too scared of the answer. She wouldn't have had a chance anyways, as at that moment both the Forster and Ely families barged through the kitchen doors and the room was filled with excited talk and laughter.

---

Sam gently brushed Ace's mane with her fingers. The bonfire party for Jake's homecoming had been going on for a couple of hours now and everyone was cheerful. Well, almost everyone. The Slocums weren't exactly excited and neither was Jen, but at least she was happy for Sam. Jake was so busy talking with everyone in Darton, Sam hadn't had a chance to talk to him again since their chat in the kitchen. Maybe that was for the best though. For some reason, she had this irresistible urge to sit down and have a good cry. She couldn't figure out why; maybe it was just that everything was happening all at once. Maybe she expected Jake to come home and sweep her off her feet and proclaim his love to her or something like that. Oh he was so handsome, even more so than when he had left. His beautiful black hair was shorter, but still she had to fight the urge to run her hands through it. He was so tall too! And muscular. What a man…And those eyes! So alive and full of warmth, they were. She melted every time he looked at her.

"Oh Ace, what am I going to do, boy? If he does stay at the Three Ponies, how can I face him everyday, knowing I love him so?"

Ace's only answer was to bump his head against her shoulder and lean on her. But it was good enough for that moment.

--

"Thanks, thanks. Yeah, I'm happy to be back too. Thanks"

Jake tried to escape from the conversation, but since he was the main attraction he knew his odds were slim. Still, he had to figure out some way of getting out of here. He had to find Sam. He hadn't been able to talk to her since he'd found her in the kitchen, dancing around to some Juice Newton song and baking cookies.

Wow, when he'd seen her he'd almost fallen down. She had changed so much, become so mature and gorgeous…and yet still she was Sam. She was still that troublesome, passionate, excitable redhead who rendered him incapable of any normal thought or speech…who invaded his dreams and thoughts almost constantly. He had known that he loved her from the moment she came back from San Francisco. Sighing, he remembered back to that day when he'd first seen her after those two very long years. He'd teased her about being "skinny as a weasel," but it was only to hide the surprise he'd felt at realizing his old best friend was beautiful. As the months passed and she got into more and more trouble he knew he couldn't lose her again. He blamed his over-protectiveness on guilt and she bought it, but in reality, he loved her. More than life itself, he loved her; her kind heart, her sweet thoughts, her love and passion for animals. Each day he tried to tell her how he felt, but one look in those beautiful blue eyes and he couldn't even form a coherent sentence and so he covered up with some sarcastic remark or joke.

He didn't notice that those around him had drifted away due to his lack of concentration and he was now standing by himself, but as soon as he did, he scooted off to find Sam. He had to tell her now. He had to tell her everything.

After that night at the bonfire, three years ago, he finally came to the conclusion that he loved Sam so much, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her; he wanted to marry her, have children, and grow old. Going to school, however, would have taken six years and he knew that was too long. She was young, but in six years she would have been 20 and anything could have happened. So he left for school right after graduation and stayed there, working in the summers, on the weekends and during the night so he could come home sooner. What should have taken him six years, took him three, but during that time he hadn't been home once. But now he was here and he wasn't leaving ever again.

He couldn't see the slim, auburn-haired love of his life anywhere. She had vanished from the large, excited crowd. Knowing her, she had probably escaped to the barn. He entered the barn and noticed her right away. Silently, he watched her as moonlight streamed through the window and onto her profile. She was still short, but he would have bet anything that she would fit perfectly into his arms. Her small frame had developed from a young girl into a 17 year old woman's body. Her previously short red hair had grown out into long soft waves and Jake could only imagine how soft those waves would feel if he ran his fingers through them. Unable to keep silent any longer he moved forward.

"Sam?" He called softly. She spun around, her hair whipping her face. When she saw who it was, she relaxed.

"Jake." The way she breathed his name made his knees weak and his heart pump at a speed that hadn't even been invented yet. "What are you doing in here? I mean, shouldn't you be…socializing?" She met his eyes, almost shyly.

"Yeah, I guess, but I got a little tired. Besides, you disappeared and if I'm going to talk to someone, it should be my best friend, don't ya think?" He rubbed the back of his neck and tilted his head, smiling. She nodded and returned his smile before turning back to Ace.

"So…." _I love you?_ How on earth was he supposed to say it? He couldn't just blurt it out, could he? No, he had to be smooth and cool. Right, because he was always so smooth and cool. He almost rolled his eyes, but managed to stop himself.

"So, you never did tell me about school." She wanted to talk about school?

"It was good." _That was really smooth, Jake_. He could have hit himself. So much for cool. She turned and he could tell she was fighting laughter.

"Really? That's so descriptive, Jake." Her smile dropped and he felt an overpowering urge to make her smile again. "I mean, it would be nice to know what you were doing for three years. You know, I…we haven't heard from you since you left. I was just really curious." She was avoiding his eyes and his guilt became uncontainable.

"I was busy." He said lamely. It was true; he'd been so busy he hadn't had a chance to correspond with anyone. His thoughts had been consumed with getting school done and coming back home to be with her, his Sam. He hadn't even come home for the holidays.

"Ok." He could hear the cynicism in her voice. She moved as if she was leaving, then stopped and looked at Jake. Her expression softened for a moment.

"I really am glad you're back." She moved towards the door, but Jake grabbed her arm gently.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I really was very busy, but I didn't forget about you." He emphasized the 'you.' "I was trying to finish my studies quickly so I could come back home…" _To be with you_; it stuck in his throat. He breathed in quickly and exhaled, trying to prepare for what he was going to say next. But she beat him to it.

"I know. I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. I just...missed you, I guess. A lot." The last part of the sentence was said so quietly he barely heard it.

Both suddenly became very aware of how close they were standing and their positions. Jake's arms were almost completely around Sam and her body was tilted towards him, her face hovering inches from his own as he had bent down while talking to her.

Sam's breath hitched another notch and her heart began to pound so loudly she just knew Jake would be able to hear it. His lips were so close to hers; those perfect lips. She desperately wished he would kiss her.

Jake was also noticing an increase in his heart beats and was fighting the temptation to bend down just a fraction of an inch more and brush his lips across her soft, ruby lips. Giving into temptation, he inclined his head slightly and felt her mouth on his. The sensation almost knocked both of them to the floor. Intensifying the kiss, Jake gently slipped his arms around her and pulled her even closer. He brushed his tongue lightly against her bottom lip and her mouth opened.

Sam felt like she was floating amongst the clouds. The kiss was the most amazing feeling in the world. She felt one of his arms tighten around her waste and the other hand came up to cup her face. He was so gentle and sweet that when they pulled away, gasping for air, her lips didn't even feel bruised. She could feel a slow blush burn its way across her cheeks and looked down quickly only then realizing her hands were resting on his broad, muscular chest. This knowledge only intensified her blush, but her stomach felt like it was stuffed full of butterflies. In a good way, of course. She looked up at him again and met his soft, brown eyes. He was smiling, so gently and his handsome eyes were full of…what was that…could it be…

"SAM!" The loud call ruined the moment and the two broke apart, trying to regain some measure of self-control. Not a moment later, Wyatt strutted into the barn, smiling widely."There you are! Ah! And Jake too. How you doin' son? Good to have you back. I was looking for you, Sam. Everyone's leaving now, so you should probably go say goodbye, okay? Alright. You too, Jake."

With that, he left the barn, whistling. Apparently he hadn't noticed the stunned, rumpled looks of the young people. Jake looked down at Sam and opened his mouth. It was now or never, but once again she beat him to it.

"We should go. Probably. Don't you think?" Obviously flustered and embarrassed, she didn't even look at Jake as she escaped the barn.

"Yeah." Jake murmured, sighing in disappointment. He'd lost his chance to tell Sam, but he had another idea. He'd always been an old-fashioned guy…and Wyatt liked him, so he'd say yes. Jake was sure of it. Yeah, this was a good plan. He strode out of the barn with new purpose. Now where was Wyatt Forster?

---

Sam hummed to herself softly as she brushed her hair and thought about the night. She hadn't seen Jake after leaving the barn. He'd disappeared as she'd been saying good bye to the Kenworthys. Excitement shot through her. He liked her! He had to. He had kissed her! And what's more, it seemed like he had liked it. And when he had looked at her before Dad interrupted she could have sworn his eyes were shining with love. For her. Sighing happily, she dropped her brush on her nightstand and fell backwards across her bed. Oh how beautiful, oh how wonderful this evening was. She was so in love…

---

"WHAT?" Wyatt's cry of outrage shocked Jake.

"Well…I…was just wondering…I mean…" He stuttered, trying to get his sentence out. He had not thought Wyatt would react like this! "I want to marry Sam…sir. That's why I came back. It…its why I worked so hard! So I wouldn't have to be away for so long. I am asking for your permission, sir." Wyatt stared at him incredulously and Jake fought back the urge to feel his neck and see if he had suddenly grown two heads or something.

"Is that what you two were talking about? In the barn, tonight?" His voice was laced with suspicion.

"No sir, we were just catching up. I haven't asked Sam yet. I wanted to get your permission first…sir."

"So Sam doesn't even know you're asking me? I mean, you two have never even dated! And she's…she's so young! She's only 17! And you were gone for so long, Jake! We haven't seen you for so long. Sam hasn't seen you for so long." Wyatt was pacing now, like a lion caged in its den. Jake swallowed.

"I know, but I've loved her for a very long time." He breathed in deeply and took the plunge. "I don't know why this upsets you so much. Sam and I have known each other since we were born. We grew up together and…and I've protected her for all of that time too! She'd be safe with me. I'd take good care of her!" Jake's voice had risen slightly. He felt panicky. What if Wyatt refused?

"I know, I know." Wyatt seemed suddenly calmer as if Jake's reasons were justified. "Its just…she's my baby girl. I can't lose her. She's all I have left of her mother too. She's so young, Jake! Can't you wait a while?" Jake squeezed his eyes shut for a second. He didn't want to wait. He wanted Sam to be his. Now.

"Yessir, but I don't want to wait. And I know Sam wouldn't either."

"Alright, son, alright. Let me think, okay? I…I…" He was obviously fumbling for words, trying to stall. "I need to sleep on it. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright?" Disappointed, Jake nodded. After Wyatt left, Jake stood there for a while. Standing right outside the barn, he could see Sam's window from there. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off, but he could still imagine Sam lying there, thinking about him too. That kiss tonight had told him all he needed to know about their relationship. She loved him as much as he loved her. And nothing was going to change that. Nothing.

---

Wyatt closed his and Brynna's bedroom door and stood there, staring at his wife. She had tucked Cody in and was now removing her jewellery. Happily, she jabbered away about the night's events.

"Weren't the Kenworthy's palominos beautiful tonight? And the Stellins had another baby! What a cutie. And Jake is home. That's very exciting! I haven't seen Sam so happy in a long time. She was so anxious waiting for him." Laughing softly she shook her head as she remembered. "He's grown up into a very fine-looking young man, hasn't he? All those Ely boys are handsome boys. Very striking…" Noticing his gaze and his silence, she turned to him. "What's wrong?" Always direct, Brynna never beat around the bush. He filled his cheeks with air and slowly let it out again.

"Jake asked for permission to marry Sam tonight."

Brynna's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really? Wow. That was quick. They never dated, did they?" He shook his head. She sat back, stunned. Slowly she started smiling.

"I always knew they would get married, Jake was so protective. I knew he loved her. And Sam looked up to him. She always wanted to be with him. Wow, just think…Sam married…"

"I didn't say yes."

"What?" Shock. As if he should have jumped up and down, said yes and clapped the boy on the back, telling him he was a good lad.

"I didn't say yes. I said I'd think about it."

"But you're going to say yes, aren't you?" She turned around so she could face him. He shrugged and moved from the door to sit on the bed, taking off his socks as he did so.

"Wyatt, how can you not say yes? They're obviously in love. Jake takes very good care of Sam. He'll be able to get a good job with that Criminal Justice degree. He can provide for her. More importantly, he understands her and cares for her in a way…" She struggled to find the words. "…in a way I've never seen in young people before. He's very mature."

"I know, but he just got home today! And Sam is only 17. He's only 20! They're young and headstrong. They need time. Besides, he hasn't even told Sam! Its just too quick!"

"Well, maybe you should talk to her before telling him 'no.' Don't you think so?" He shook his head, at a loss for words and ideas. He had told Jake he'd sleep on it and that was what he was going to do. Maybe in the morning everything would be clearer.

---

Sam woke up before the rooster had a chance to utter his first crow. She was too excited. Life was so clear and amazing right now. Having showered, she hopped down the stairs, still pulling on her sweater.

"Hi Gram!" She gave her grandmother a peck on the cheek and grabbed a biscuit from the platter Grace was preparing.

"Well, aren't you happy this morning? Have a good sleep, dear?" Grace sat down beside Sam and took a biscuit.

"I sure did! Best sleep ever." She rolled her eyes in delight over the biscuit. "These are good, Gram!"

"Thank you dear." She hesitated for a second before asking, "Did you hear shouting last night? After the party?"

"No," Sam thought hard, trying to remember anything that happened after that party, after that kiss, "I don't think so. Why?"

"I don't know; I heard your father and another voice. I think it was Jake." Sam paused at the mention of his name. Even hearing his name sent sparks through her stomach!

"Why would Jake and Dad be fighting?"

"I don't know, dear. I was hoping you knew." She paused again, thinking hard. "Jake didn't…ask you anything, did he?"

"Ask me? Uhhh…nope." They hadn't really talked that much actually. Sam tried to hide her blush as she continued. "What could Jake ask me that would make Dad angry?"

"I don't know, honey, I was just thinking out loud. Eat up your biscuit now." Her answer was rushed, as if she didn't want to explain to Sam what she'd been thinking. Sam shrugged. Right now, nothing could ruin this day. Oh, how wrong she was.

---

"What? Why?" Sam cried. "That's not fair! He just got home! Dad! He's my best friend!"

"That's my final decision, Samantha. You will not see Jake nor talk to him. I don't want you around him, is that clear?"

"No! Its not clear at all." Sam took a deep breath. "Why can't I see him? Dad, please tell me!"

"Because…I…I don't think he's a good influence on you anymore. I have my reasons! And I'm you're father. You will listen to me." He blustered irrationally. With that, he turned on his heel and strode from the barn purposefully. Sam stood there stunned and angered. What on earth could that be about? Dad loved Jake! He treated him like a son and all of a sudden, out of the blue, she wasn't allowed to even talk to him or see him! Something was wrong. What if he **had** seen them kissing and was angry? Tears blurred Sam's vision and she ran to the house, trying to control her sobs.

"What's wrong with her?" Dallas watched as Sam ran to the house looking as if she were about to cry. Wyatt shook his head.

"I told her she wasn't allowed to see Jake anymore." Wyatt muttered. Dallas turned to look at him.

"What?" Shock coloured his voice. "Why on earth would you do that? Those two are best friends. What could possess you to do such a thing?" Wyatt took a deep breath, wondering if he should tell the truth.  
"He asked me if he could marry Sam yesterday."

Dallas' jaw almost hit the floor.

"What? But he just got back yesterday? What is he thinking?"

"I'm going to tell him no today and to stay away from Sam."

"What are **you** thinking?" Shocked, Wyatt turned to look at Dallas.

"What do you mean? I'm thinking that he is not right for my daughter. You know how hurt she was when he never visited. He hurt her Dallas! She cried so often. Oh, she tried to hide it, but I knew. I could tell. Besides, they're too young, its too soon…they're so young and..."

"…you don't want to lose her." Dallas finished his sentence. Wyatt just nodded mutely. "You won't lose her, Wyatt; you'll gain Jake as a son. Maybe he didn't come home for a reason. If I recall correctly, a degree in Criminal Justice takes quite a few years. More than the three that Jake was there for. Maybe...just maybe...he was rushing through his work or something like that, so that he could come home sooner. Think about that." He left Wyatt standing there, even more unsure about the future than before.

---

Jake noticed the rider approaching as he let himself out of the corral. It was Wyatt. Taking a deep, nervous breath, Jake walked over to him confidently. Surely the man was seeing reason now. He would say yes. He **had** to say yes. Jake prepared himself for the answer, expecting good news.

It never came.


	2. Silent Love

For my reviewers: Hawkstar of Riverclan, evilmunchkin, Twilight-Horses-Gurl, werewolf dancer, QuinnandSeth'sgirl15 and Wild Cowgirl 16. Thanks so much, guys. You're very inspiring.

---

Over the course of the next few days life went on as Jake and Sam tried to obey Wyatt's rules. However, the strain of the inability to see the woman he loved was taking its toll on Jake. He couldn't handle it anymore. It didn't take long and Jake was riding up to Harmony ranch, hoping Jen would be the only one there so no on would see him and tell Wyatt what he was up to. He felt somewhat of a cad, sneaking around like this, but if this was the only way he'd be able to see Sam, then so be it. Wyatt wasn't giving him much of a choice. Anyways, he had to explain it to Sam, didn't he?

Slowing Witch he noticed the Kenworthy's vehicle was missing. Breathing a sigh of relief he dismounted carelessly and after hiding his black mare in the barn, strode up to the door. After knocking about 30 times and ringing the doorbell an additional 10, Jen finally came to the door looking slightly annoyed and suspiciously rumpled. Smoothing her hair back and trying to maintain a neutral expression, she regarded Jake as if he were an alien that had landed in his UFO for afternoon tea.

"Jacob Ely? At my house? What do you want?"

"Can I come inside please?" Jake glanced around to make sure there were no approaching vehicles or riders.

"No and why?" She didn't even attempt to be polite.

"Because I have to talk to you." He resisted the urge to grind his teeth together and managed to smile tightly. "It's about Sam."

"Fine, come in, come in." She opened the door and Jake followed her inside. In the living room sat Ryan Slocum, trying to look carefree and dignified, but Jake could tell he was irritated.

"Can I talk to you privately?" Jake turned to Jen.

"No, anything you want to say, you can say in front of him." She smirked, enjoying his discomfort. He gritted his teeth together. Fine, he'd just have to threaten Slocum with physical bodily harm if he said anything. Before he could open his mouth, Jen spoke.

"I'm guessing this has something to do with what Sam told me yesterday?" At his look of surprise, she explained. "I am her best friend you know. We tell each other just about everything." Jake glanced at Ryan. "I said 'just' about everything." Jen snapped. "Some things are more private then others." She motioned to Ryan. "Anyways, she was really upset. Said her Dad had forbidden her from seeing you, talking to you or having anything to do with you."

Ryan snorted.

"What'd you do? Knock her up?" Both Jen and Jake glared at him.

"I didn't do anything to her. I respect her, okay?" Jake was having a hard time not beating the crap out of this guy. "I asked Wyatt for permission to marry Sam and told me he'd think about it. Next thing I know he's telling me I can't see her or talk to her. He just blew up at me." He sank onto the couch and rubbed his face with his hands.

"You proposed to Sam?" Jen's surprise was evident.

"No, not yet. I was asking Wyatt for permission before I even talked to Sam about it. Didn't go like I planned."

"So Sam doesn't even know you want to marry her? She has no idea why you two can't see each other?" This from Ryan.

Jake shook his head. Ryan and Jen glanced at each other, shocked.

"That's insane and absolutely crazy." Jen said. Jake looked up, glad she agreed with him.

"I know. I need your help. I want you to call Sam and tell her to meet me on War Drums Flats tonight at midnight. But you have to act like you're being normal and talking normal…girl…stuff. No one can know. Okay? Please?" Jake knew he would get down on his knees and beg if he had to.

Thankfully, Jen didn't make him.

"Of course," she said, nodding, "we'll both help you."

"Thank you." Jake sighed. At least tonight he could explain to Sam what was going on. Maybe they could figure something out, together. He left Harmony Ranch feeling optimistic for the first time in days.

---

"Sam, Jen's on the phone for you!"

Sam looked up from her tear-stained pillow. Why was Jen calling? She hadn't talked to her for a couple days. She'd told Jen everything her Dad had said and together they had tried to figure out why he'd said such a thing. She hadn't told Jen about Jake kissing her, but they still hadn't come up with any answers. Sam dried her eyes and descended the stairs with as much dignity and poise as she could muster. Trying to calm her shaking limbs, she took the phone from Gram and turned to face the wall, holding the receiver to her ear.

"Jen?"

"Are you alone?"

"What? No." Why on earth would Jen care if she was alone?

"Ok, don't react to anything I say. Just act normal, alright?"

"Ok." Sam said slowly. Why was she acting so weird?

"I can't explain everything to you right now, but Jake wants to meet you at War Drum's Flats tonight. At twelve o'clock, ok?"

"Ok." Sam's voice nearly shook with relief and happiness, but she tried to quell it so Gram wouldn't become suspicious.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, Sam. Stay strong, buddy."

"I will. Bye." Sam hung up, proud that she could control her anxiety. "I'm going back to my room, Gram." Grace smiled softly at her and nodded, not quite sure what to make of all these strange occurrences. She was going to have to ask that son of hers just what was going on. Sam raced up the stairs wishing night would come quickly.

---

It felt like forever before it was time. Sam changed into dark clothes and snuck downstairs. It was surprisingly easy to slip out of the house and tack Ace. Riding into the night, Sam looked behind her to make sure no one had seen her. The house stood quiet and still. Quietly she clucked to Ace urging him into a gallop and they raced to War Drum's Flats.

---

Jake paced clasping his hands together in front of his mouth. Every now and again, he would hear hoof beats and he would look up expecting Sam. He wasn't sure what to say or where to start. If he told her why Wyatt had forbidden them from seeing each other he would have to tell her he wanted to marry her and that wasn't a very romantic proposal. Hearing the familiar sound of pounding hoof beats, he glanced up and saw Ace and Sam riding his way. His heart started to race. She had decided to forgo the hat and her long, auburn hair spilled out behind her as the wind shook it. He loved her hair long…_Ok, focus, Ely!_ He scolded himself. She dismounted and flew at him, hugging him hard.

"Jake! Oh I missed you! Jake, what's going on? Why is Dad acting like this? What's happening?" She raised her face to look at him, but kept her arms around his back.

"Oh Sam...Sam, I missed you too." Instead of answering her question, he pulled her close to him.

They stood there quietly with their arms around each other for a few minutes before Sam moved back.

"Jake, seriously, what's going on? Why is Dad so angry with us? Please, tell me what's going on!"

"He's not mad at you…" Jake started slowly. How on earth was he going to explain this? Sam's heartbroken face nagged at his heartstrings. He couldn't keep the truth from her anymore…

Taking a deep breath, Jake knelt down on one knee. Sam blanched and her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

"Sam, I love you…" Sam gasped, and Jake continued, "I always have. That's why I never visited. I spent all my time working, during the summer and during the holidays just so I could finish quicker. I just wanted to come home. I'm sorry I hurt you by not visiting or calling. I was so busy. Sam, I know we're young, but I also know that we love each other. I've known for my entire life that we are meant to get married. So…" And as the moon shone brightly down on the two lovers on that flat _playa_, he pulled a small box from his coat pocket and brandished it in front of the young, auburn haired girl. "Will you marry me, Sam?"

Sam's heart nearly stopped. Ecstatic, she knelt down beside Jake and threw her arms around his neck, elatedly.

"Oh yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I will most definitely marry you Jake Ely! I love you so much." Softly, Jake pulled away, his signature tom-cat grin flitting onto his face, and slipped the ring onto her delicate finger. Their lips met in a brief kiss before Jake slid his arms around her waist and Sam placed hers around his neck. Murmuring his love for her once again, Jake pulled her back for another, deeper, more passionate kiss. They lingered in sweet embrace for several hours gazing at the stars and talking of nothing and everything that lovers talk about.

---

Sam was the one to finally move from her position in Jake's arms.

"What are we going to do, Jake? Dad will **never** let us get married." Unease laced her tone. Suddenly, her eyes brightened and her mouth quirked into a half-smile. "I know!" She exclaimed. "We'll elope! We'll run away to Las Vegas or Reno or wherever. We'll find a place where you don't have to be 18 to tie the knot!" Her glee was infectious and her smile captivated Jake. He gave a low chuckle and pulled her closer to brush his lips against hers again.

"I wish we could, Brat."

"What do you mean 'wish,' Jake? Why can't we? What on this green earth could stop us?"

"Our own values and respect for your father." Jake's tone was soft as he stared lovingly down at her.

"What? Values? Respect? He's not 'valuing' or 'respecting' us Jake! He's telling us what to do and treating us as if we're children! I don't care what he thinks anymore. Screw him!" Distressed, Sam pushed herself to her feet and stood there, glaring at the moon.

"Sam!" Jake's voice was disturbed as he also rose to his feet. "He's your father and as much as we hate his choices, we still have to respect him. You most of all! You don't disrespect your parents like that. He has done everything for you and for me! He's not only your father; he's my boss, neighbour and friend. I still respect him very much. So should you. I would not go so far as to get married without his blessing."

Ashamed, Sam lowered her head. Of course, Jake was right. She knew that. Her dad deserved her respect and love, not her anger and insults. He had given her everything she needed to grow up and loved her no matter what she did.

"Of course. Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I love Dad so much and he will always have my respect, but he makes me so angry! Jake, he treats me like a child all the time. I hate it! And I want to marry you. He won't even let me see you!"

Jake drew her close to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. It makes me angry as well, but as much as I want to marry you, I want our families to be a part of our lives as well. We can't cut them out. Sam, if I have to wait 2 years or 20 years, I will. I love you and I will never leave. Okay? I promise. But for now, let's just follow Wyatt's rules and maybe he'll calm down. Agreed?" Tilting his head, he gazed into her eyes searching for any sing of concurrence.

"Oh Jake, do we have to?" Her voice was quiet; barely a whisper.

He nodded gently.

"Then…alright. I'll obey him, but I won't stop loving you no matter what he says or does! We'll get through this. And we will get married!" Determination coloured her tone and strengthened it.

"Alright," he agreed, "but until then, maybe you shouldn't wear this here…" He slid the beautiful engagement ring off of her finger and reaching around her, slipped it onto the silver chain encompassing her throat. "…you can wear it here instead."

Sam gazed down at the sparkling ornament and gave a soft, sad smile. "We'll have to hide everything, won't we?" She looked up at him. "Our love, my ring…"

"Just for now, love, just for now." His answer made her sigh.

She melted back into his arms and lovingly rested her head on his chest. "I'm so happy you're back, Jake." Thinking about Jake's return, how they now realized how much they loved each other, but had to hide it from the world, only one word came to Sam's mind.

Bittersweet.


	3. Caught

The weeks passed by slowly, dragging on until Sam thought she might lose her mind. She hadn't seen Jake since that beautiful night he proposed to her. They had stayed there for a few more hours, talking and laughing, ignoring the anguish they were going to face over the coming days and weeks. She sighed as she remembered how soft and caring he had been with her, kissing her and touching her face often as if to prove to himself she was still there.

Cody jogged into her room and fell onto her bed.

"Sam! Let's go play ball outside, come on, I want to play!" His insistence finally persuaded Sam to get up, stop moping about Jake and go outside. As she and her younger brother threw the baseball around, Sam couldn't help but recall the strain in the Forster household, nay, over the entire ranch. Everyone could feel it, but it was like the big, white elephant in the room. No one would talk about it. Sam hadn't spoken more than five words to her father since he had banned her from seeing Jake, but no one suspected that she had seen him that night oh so many weeks ago or that she was engaged to him. She smiled at the thought of the ring hanging around her neck. She caught the ball and held it in the crook of her arm as she pulled the elastic band that was around her arm off and scooped up her reddish, brown hair into a messy ponytail.

"Sam, Cody, come and eat!" Gram's sweet, low voice intruded into her thoughts. Sam knew that Gram had no idea about Dad's ban on Jake. The poor, older woman could not understand for the life of her what was wrong with everyone. Even Brynna was acting strangely. She seemed angry at Dad as well. Maybe she knew about the whole thing and didn't agree with Dad. Everyone else hadn't really noticed. Most of the neighbours and even Pepper and Ross figured Jake was just busy at Three Ponies Ranch. Dallas was the only one acting normally. Still, no one could understand the underlying, yet obvious tension surrounding the Ely's and the Forster's.

---

Supper was exceptionally quiet this night; more so than all the others. Even Cody was quiet, as if he sensed the antagonism in the room. Gram had all but given up trying to start conversation weeks ago, but now she decided there was nothing left to lose and so she began again.

"So…I suppose we're all looking forward to the cattle drive next week, right?"

All heads turned her direction and the look on each person's face made Grace Forster want to curl up under her chair. Wyatt looked positively thunderous, Brynna only slightly happier, Sam had an odd expression of hope and fear and Cody looked like he was passing gas. Fairly certain that Cody was doing exactly that, she turned her attention to the other three.

"What? You didn't forget did you?"

Wyatt's silence was answer enough. He had forgotten; it was fairly obvious.

"How on earth could you forget? This is one of the most crucial things to happen all year, especially this year! We have never had such a large herd of cattle. It's going to be an exceptionally busy time." Grace couldn't keep the panic out of her tone.

"I've had a lot on my mind." The snarl in Wyatt's voice and the stiffening of Sam's spine were the only things that kept Grace from inquiring, in no uncertain terms, what the heck was wrong. She had a feeling she was going to have to tread lightly and carefully in these circumstances. This probably wasn't the right time to figure out what was going on for these past few weeks. More important was the cattle drive. Never before had the Forster's had so many heads of cattle nor had the Ely's or several other neighbours. It was most certainly one of the biggest drives ever. All of their concentration was needed for this project. She most certainly was not going to stir the waters now. That would have to wait until after the drive.

---

With a vengeance, the ranchers threw themselves into preparing for the cattle drive. For a while it seemed as if this combined effort to insure a positive outcome for the drive had driven out any resentment or conflict between the families. This peace was short lived, however. It was the day before they were set to leave that sparks began flying again. And it started with a simple act of graciousness from one neighbour to the next.

"Wyatt? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Luke Ely was a large and rather imposing man. His strong chin and jet black hair denied his age and his dark brown eyes, so like Jake's, were as serious as ever.

"Sure Luke, what's the problem?" Wyatt turned to look at his long-time friend.

"Well, I noticed you didn't have too many riders for your herd. What with Brynna and Grace looking after the camp and Cody, you don't have quite enough people. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to borrow Jake?"

Sam's head whipped around as Wyatt tensed so slightly that everyone but she missed it.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Luke." His words were clipped and tense. Luke's eyes narrowed as he recognized hostility underlying Wyatt's tone. He didn't say anything; like the Ely boys he used body language to convey his meaning. He tilted his chin up and crossed his arms. Wyatt shifted uncomfortably. He knew enough not to become angry at one of his best friends and neighbour.

"I think we can handle it, but thanks anyways." His tone was considerably lighter and Luke noticed the change. He nodded and dropped his arms from their current position.

"Gonna be mighty hard to control a herd with so few people."  
"One more isn't going to help."

The battle of wills continued as both men tried to stare the other down. Wyatt must have realized that Jake's help constituted for more than one man because he acquiesced and nodded.

"Appreciate it." It was pretty obvious by the tautness of Wyatt's shoulders that his words were for courtesy's sake only. Sam watched her dad and Luke walk away from each other, each man positively radiating tension. She wanted to jump for joy and sing hallelujah, but constrained her joy for another time. A sense of paranoia told her that her dad would see her if she reacted even a little bit and somehow he would know about everything; the engagement and the ring she kept fingering in her nervousness. So she clamped her mouth shut and pulled her brown Stetson down farther over her eyes to hide the glee she was certain was written all over her face.

---

A blanket of dark was still covering the _playa_ when Sam woke the next morning. Despite the gloomy weather, her delight couldn't be hampered by anything, not even when she was told she was going to be riding drag the whole way. She knew Dad would pull Jake up to the front and he himself would settle along the side to watch the two young people and prevent any encounters between them. Although there would be no chance for them to see each other during the daylight hours, Sam knew they could probably slip away during the night to talk. So, she wasn't too upset by this latest announcement.

---

Driving to the site was a boring affair. Those who didn't drive slept and ate. Conversation in the Forster truck was stilted and quiet if there was any at all. Sam wondered if anyone noticed how distant she and her father acted towards each other.

Soon enough every vehicle was clambering along the rocky dirt towards the first stop where all the cattle were stored. One by one each one stopped and people began piling out and unpacking their tack and equipment while others unloaded the horses. Sam had to force her gaze away from the Ely's vehicles and make herself stop looking for Jake. It didn't work. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his tall figure as he stepped out of one of the vehicles and walked over to the horse trailer containing his agitated black Quarter-Horse, Witch. Dropping her head, she continued unpacking Ace's gear while half-watching Jake from under her eyelashes. Her dad finally walked away to help Brynna and Gram and Sam was left alone. She was thinking of an excuse to go over to the Ely's and talk to Jake when a shout broke through her thoughts.

"Sam!"

She turned to see Quinn waving at her. Everyone had looked up at Quinn's cry and Sam found herself staring into Jake's mustang brown eyes. Forcing herself to stay focused and to stop gaping at Jake, she pulled her hand up and waved back at Quinn. Everyone who had been watching them now turned away, satisfied at discovering the source of the noise. Sam could feel the heat of Jake's gaze on her and she demurely looked his way again, feeling the heat blossoming up her neck. When he had caught her eyes he smiled the softest, most loving smile she had ever seen grace his face. He tilted his head to left and looked around discreetly to see if anyone was watching them. Convinced that no one was, he indicated with his head that they could go behind the trailers without being seen. Cautiously, Sam put the tack she was unpacking down and trying to be as inconspicuous and unobtrusive as possible moved towards the back of the trailers. She slipped around the side and almost immediately she felt arms circle her waist and a strong chest against her back. She would know the feeling of Jake's arms and the smell of his soap anywhere. Content, she leaned her head back against his chest. He was so tall and she so small that her head fit perfectly on the upper center of his torso. Turning her around, he leaned his forehead against hers and kissed the top of her head.

"Hmmm, you smell good." His low voice had a husky timbre to it that made Sam's stomach do the polka and her legs do the wet noodle. Knowing they wouldn't have a lot of time before someone came looking for them; Sam buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I missed you." For some reason unbeknownst to her, she felt like crying. Having not seen Jake for so long was most likely the cause.

Jake nuzzled his face into her hair.

"And I, you. I know I said we would respect your father and not sneak out to meet each other, but this is getting insane. I can't stand not seeing you, Sam." Pulling away from her, he gently cupped her face in his palms and leaned his forehead against hers. Sam, having never known Jake to be an outwardly affectionate person, was even more surprised when he gently rubbed his nose against hers before sweetly kissing her on the lips.

"I know, Jake. I agree. I don't think it would disrespectful or wrong to see each other every once and a while. Do you? I think we could." Desperation tinged her voice and tears clogged her throat. Seeing him and knowing she wouldn't be with him much longer before someone came, hurt so badly. She didn't want to take her eyes off of him.

"I…I," Torn between the need to do the right thing and his own desire for Sam, Jake could hardly think. _Say yes_, his mind ordered him. His heart agreed, as did his entire body. Having been away from her so long only increased his desire for her. His mind was already busy making up excuses for him, telling him it was okay. _What Wyatt doesn't know won't hurt him_. It wasn't as if they were going to do something bad. No, they just wanted to see each other. Nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing.

"Yes, Sam. I know we can. There's nothing wrong with it." He quickly admitted. Seeing her glorious smile, his heart felt like it was going to burst. He couldn't help himself; he leaned down and kissed her again. Oh, how he wanted this woman to be his. He had just deepened the kiss and pulled her closer, her arms around his neck, his around her waist, when someone came around the corner.

"Woah, what the heck?"

The surprised cry broke Sam and Jake apart and they turned to stare guiltily as Quinn and Nate looked at them. The two middle Ely brothers backed away, looking bewildered. Before they could move even a step Jake grabbed both of them and pulled them behind the trailers. Holding both by the fronts of their jackets, he pushed them against the back of the trailer.

"You. Will. Tell. No one. Understand?" His gritted teeth did nothing to hinder the lucidity of his words. The angry expression on his face did, however, hide the anxiety he felt at being discovered.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem, little bro." Quinn actually felt fearful of his younger brother. Nate was less impressed.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He actually sounded uncharacteristically confident for a guy being held up by his lapels. Jake, recognizing that Nate was going to be the more troublesome of both, dropped Quinn and focused his attention onto his older brother. Quinn realized he could escape and took advantage of the situation. Jake let him go, knowing he wouldn't inform anyone.

"Nate. Please. You can't tell anyone. Brother, this is one secret you have to keep. Please." Jake's mustang eyes were dark and serious. Nate saw Jake's sincerity and realized the importance of what he had just witnessed.

"You're not allowed to be together, are you?" It was the only explanation of why they were hiding behind the trailers for a few stolen kisses. "Wyatt's idea?"

Jake dropped his elder brother and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was the first sign of stress he had shown for a while. Sam moved closer to him and gently touched his arm, a gesture that comforted both her and him. He took her hand and held it softly, interlacing their fingers. Nate watched this exchange with amazement. Sure, everyone had figured these two had crushes on each, but no one had ever realized the intensity of their feelings. Nate was sure it was more than a little crush by the way they were looking at each other.

"I guess it's not just a passing fancy?" He was only teasing, but Sam and Jake looked at each other, their expressions serious before Sam pulled a chain from around her neck. Nate's eyes widened when he saw the beautiful, sparkling ring as the meaning was quite evident.

"Marriage? Already?"

Jake looked at him defensively.

"Why not?"

"Well, you're a little young, don't you think?"

"You sound like Wyatt."

"Ohhh, y'know, that explains a lot." Nate thought back to the reactions he had been seeing when Jake and Wyatt saw each other or even the way Sam was acting towards her father. Obviously, the older rancher had been very clear about his feelings on the matter. Jake hadn't been to River Bend for quite a while and Nate now knew the reason.

"He banned you from seeing each other?" It was a guess, but Nate figured it was probably a pretty good one.

"That about sums it up." Sam's tone was so melancholy, Nate felt a deep sadness for both of them. It only strengthened when Jake glanced down at his fiancée with a sad, loving gaze.

"We'll get through it. He'll come around." Nate wasn't sure who Jake was trying to convince; himself or Sam. He nodded anyways.

"Of course he will. And don't worry, you guys, I won't tell a soul. Neither will Quinn. We'll try to help you out as much as we can."

Both Sam and Jake nodded their thanks. Nate didn't envy them the struggle they were about to face.


	4. Afraid to Believe

Hey everyone! I'm back. Finally, hey? Sorry for taking so long…I was working at camp all summer and just started my second year of university. Let's just say I'm up to my eyeballs in homework. I know, I know, no excuses. I'm sorry that's all I can say. I also kind of lost the will to write after I got home. I kind of had my heart broken at camp, so I didn't really want to write a romantic story, but now I'm back and so much better!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the story.

------------

Coughing back dust through the sweaty, dirty bandana around her mouth, Sam narrowed her eyes against the gritty air. The normally blue sky was covered by a yellow haze and the surrounding scenery was invisible. Sam felt like she was in a tunnel. They had been droving the herd for four hours straight and she felt like she'd been eating dust for years. Shifting her seat in Tempest's saddle, she looked around, but the clouds of dust obscured her vision. Everything was going smoothly and there had been few problems as only a couple of cows decided to make a break for it.

Relaxing, Sam turned her neck and rubbed it, trying to work out the kinks. Despite being a decent and experienced rider, she still became sore after too many hours on the trail. An abrupt break in the dust allowed Sam to see her father on the right side of the herd. She gave a wry smile; she may have been angry at him, but she still loved him and was proud to call him 'Dad.' He was only trying to protect her and although it was infuriating, she knew that it was often for the best. Sam knew she had a record for getting into trouble. And it often had to do with the Phantom. _Well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem anymore_, she thought. Safe in the Forster's valley, the Phantom's herd had been secure for a while now. Every once in a while Sam had crept to the rocky overhang where she had climbed up that day so many years ago and watched the herd graze peacefully. She just had to make sure they were protected although they were even safer now that Linc Slocum and Curtis Flickinger were back in jail for good.

_Still_, Sam thought_, many of the problems weren't always_ _**my**_ _fault_. Take the cougar, for example; that had been out of her control. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. _And then they always blame me for it_. Sam frowned, but quickly wiped it away with smile. Now that she knew why Jake was always protective it all made sense and his constant vigilance over her made her feel warm inside. She had never been the type to want an overprotective boyfriend, but now that she did, it was kind of nice. Of course, sometimes he went overboard with his hero act and placed himself in danger to defend her. That bothered Sam. It was like he thought she was more important than he was. Like that time when the Phantom's tunnel roof was collapsing and she became trapped on the other side. She remembered as it was falling…as **she** was falling, how he had reached for her, oblivious to the dangers around him. She was surprised he hadn't been more upset when he had found her. Usually he just got mad at her for placing herself in danger.

_Maybe he was getting over it_…she mused. She was so deep in thought she didn't even notice the dark shapes riding up quickly behind her until it was too late…

---

Jake looked behind him for the umpteenth time. Dust and cattle milled around behind him, but he couldn't see much further than that…again. Still, this time something felt wrong. Something was just off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The urge to go back and check on Sam was overwhelming, but he held himself in check. Wyatt would not appreciate that at all.

Half an hour later, Jake knew something was wrong for sure. The dust was less, as was the amount of cattle. He could see the end of the herd; that definitely wasn't right. It looked as if almost half of the herd was gone and many cows were trailing behind unsure whether to follow the rest of the herd or not. Sam was no where to be seen. Jake's breath hitched and his heart started to race. Where could she be?

_Not chasing after that darned white horse again, I hope_, he thought to himself. _No, Sam wouldn't just leave the herd. She's much more mature than that_. He turned at the sound of approaching hoof beats. Wyatt came towards him at break neck speed.

"Where's Sam?" His tone was almost accusing.

"I don't know, Wyatt. I don't know where she could have gone." Jake was sure that fear was evident in his voice. That was probably the reason for the softening in Wyatt's face and why his next words were much gentler.

"Ok, well maybe she went after that horse again. We'll have to go round up the cattle that are gone, and then we'll set up camp. You know where she'd go." It wasn't a question. Jake nodded.

"Good, you go find her. We'll get the cattle." His eyes were worried, but his voice was strong and sure. Once again, Jake nodded silently. He turned Witch around and started loping the tired horse towards the valley he knew was the Phantom's home.

---

It took all of ten seconds for Jake to realize that Sam wasn't here, nor had she been lately, once he arrived at the valley. Looking over the edge of the ravine, he could see the Phantom's herd grazing peacefully, but there was no sign of Sam anywhere. His heart fell. He'd been banking on this, hoping she would be here. Now what was he going to do? Drawing in a deep breath he got up and moved towards Witch. First he had to go back to camp. He had to tell Wyatt the bad news. Sam was nowhere to be found.

---

As soon as Jake arrived, he knew something was wrong. Every one was standing around, hats to their hearts, and their heads down. Uneasily, he dismounted without bothering to use his stirrups. He started in Wyatt's direction and then he saw her. Tempest pranced nervously against the rope that Wyatt held. A group of people stood around her, calming her and calming each other. The women, Grace, Brynna, Maxine, Lila and Trudy Allen were weeping softly as the men stood around Tempest's saddle talking grimly. Awful images of Sam's dead and broken body filled Jake's mind. He stopped, unable to go a step further. Wyatt looked up.

"Jake!" His expression turned to one of hope that quickly faded to fear and disappointment when he saw Jake was alone. "Come here, son."

Jake couldn't move a muscle until he felt a hand push his back gently.

"Come on, buddy." Brian's voice was gentle, as if he knew his little brother was afraid of what he might see.

"Is it…." Jake couldn't finish his sentence.

"No, it's not Sam." Relief flooded Jake at his brother's response. Moving quickly now, he strode over to Wyatt, Luke and the rest of the men. Dr. Scott barely glanced up as the youngest Ely approached, instead he continued running his hands over the filly.

"Showed up not but ten minutes ago." Dallas' voice was harsh. Jake couldn't understand it. Why was everyone so upset? Sam fell off her horse all the time. It was a habit rather than an accident most of the time. Sure, they were all worried that she was missing, but everyone was acting as if she was dead or something. Jake really hoped that they had just told him everything. He didn't think he or his heart could handle another surprise. Unfortunately that was just what he got.

Wyatt nodded his head towards the back of the saddle, motioning for Jake to take a look. Stepping forward, Jake saw something that made his blood cold and his heart stop for a moment. A good amount of blood covered the back of the saddle and Tempest's rear end. Closing his eyes and bringing his hand in front of his mouth, Jake stepped backwards, shaking his head.

"It's a lot of blood..." Dr. Scott rose now, speaking slowly. "Maybe from a head wound or…a…" he seemed hesitant to go on, "…or a bullet wound. It could be fatal."

Jake let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. Clenching his hands into fists, he stared at them, dark and weather-beaten.

"Kidnapped." It was the only word Ross had said since the incident. And it wasn't a question either. Jake's legs threatened to buckle and he backed up before that could happen. Everyone looked at Ross.

"Who?" Pepper looked sick to his stomach. Ross shook his head.

"Both Slocum and Flick are behind bars, hopefully for a long time. Who's left to want Sam gone?"

"I don't know, Pepper. This don't make any sense." Dallas put a hand on the young cowboy's shoulder.

"Well…we…we have to go after her. We have to go find her. Now." Jake willed his voice not to tremble, but he couldn't stop it from rising. "Come on! What are we waiting for?" He started towards his exhausted black horse. Luke grabbed his son's arm before he could get very far.

"Jake." Jake stopped fighting his father's hold at the sound of his name. Anger built slowly in his heart.

"Why are we just standing here? There will be tracks, we should go look at least." He was silent as Jed Kenworthy shook his head.

"The tracks are gone. We already looked. I'm guessing it's because of all the cattle and the dust. It's too late to go out searching right now. It'll be dark soon enough and the horses are already exhausted. We have to call the cops. Jake, we have to think this through. We have no idea where or when they took her. Or who, for Pete's sake! We need to get the cops here. But for now, we just sit put."

Jake, stunned, looked at the Harmony Ranch owner.

"We can't just leave her! She's hurt. The blood makes that pretty obvious. She could die!" He couldn't help it. The words just exploded from him. Everyone around him looked down. Obviously they were upset. His own brothers, however, looked anxiously at their father, waiting for permission. Jake knew they would help him no matter what.

"Jake!"

The angry young man turned to Wyatt. His anger diminished as he saw tears on the older man's face and in his eyes. "I know, I know." The words brought tears to Jake's eyes and made his breathing difficult. To his complete surprise, his fiancé's father suddenly grabbed him in a hug. Jake just stood there until he felt Wyatt break down into tears. He hugged the older man back as others put their hands on Wyatt's back in comfort. Murmured words of comfort and shared sorrow softly danced around the circle of despondent individuals. Unabashed tears fell freely from all of them. There was no rest for anyone that night as the search continued.


	5. Old Acquaintances

**Hey guys. So here is the next chapter. I'm guessing that the next chapter will be the last one. Hope you enjoyed my story! I'll probably be coming out with a new story soon. So keep an eye out for it! **

**Win**

**Disclaimer: All characters and whatnot belong to Terri Farley.**

---

Sam cracked her eyes open carefully and painfully. Dots tangoed around her vision and she fought the overwhelming dizziness. Shadowed objects became further defined, but her headache only intensified. Squinting, she realized she could now see the walls of her prison. Rotted, wooden planks surrounded her and the dirt floor beneath scratched the hands bound behind her. She shifted and gasped when her legs started screaming. She'd been sitting on them for far too long, except…how long had she been here? It had been late afternoon when she'd been taken, but now the Sun was shining through the western window. Had she really been here, unconscious, for several hours? The thought sent tremors through her spine. Everyone would be worried sick about her, but by now they would have started searching. In fact, Jake was probably leading the hunt and she was only moments away from rescue. This hopeful thought was most likely the only thing keeping her sane at the moment, but it would have to work because she had to think clearly to get out of here.

_Just in case…in case Jake can't find me…no, no, don't think like that, Sam. He's coming, you just want to be ready when he comes. Yeah…ok, hands first._

Concentrating, Sam twitched her stiff fingers. It was painful as there was no blood in them and her dexterity was hindered by the awkward position she was sitting in. Still, she managed to wiggle her hands around enough so that she could feel them again. Moving her legs, she pulled her arms underneath her rear and down her legs. It was difficult, painful and most of all slow, but it was working and soon her fastened hands lay in her lap. Her wrists were bloody and sweaty and her breathing was laboured. She laid her weary head back against the wall before she could even attempt to untie herself. Moments passed and though her brain screamed for her to move, to get up, to do something, but her body wouldn't let her. Finally, she managed to bring her sore wrists up to her mouth and began to chew on her bindings. It took forever, but she finally had her hands untied and the ropes around her feet loosened. Her entire body shook as she stood up and her legs collapsed out from under her. She landed on the ground with a soft thud and her heart almost stopped at the sound that was seemingly loud in the silence surrounding her.

She lay still for a few seconds to make sure no one had heard her. Finally convinced that there was no one around she attempted to rise again. This time, using the wall as leverage, she managed to keep her quaking legs from crumpling and she scooted along the wall to the door. It was locked, but that was no surprise. Looking around, she spotted a small crack of light coming from the furthest wall. Squinting, she squatted next to it on the dusty ground and moved her fingers along the wall. It looked as if there was a crack in the wall. Maybe if she kept pulling and scratching at the wood it would come off…..the sound of feet scraping against the floor and loud, vulgar voices made her heart stop. For a few moments all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. As quietly as she could she moved back to the spot she had been laying in a few moments before. She retied her bonds loosely around both her hands and feet and lay down with her eyes closed. If her captors realized she'd freed herself from her bonds, they would tie her back up much tighter than before.

Their brash voices sounded louder as they approached the dingy little room that contained the auburn-haired girl. The rickety door was flung open and a rank smell permeated the air. Sam had to purge her curiosity and kept her eyes squeezed shut as tightly as she could.

"Ya think she's dead?" An unrecognizable voice rasped.

"Nah," this voice was deeper and smoother, "she's just out still." A pause, then: "She doesn't really look like what he described."

_What? Look like whom? And who was "he"?_

The two men walked closer to where she lay, and crouched down to peer at her. Sam barely breathed.

"Wannit she supposed to haf a darker brown hair or somethang?

"Sure is pretty, like he said."

"What's he want her fer anyway?" The raspy voice had a lilt to it as well as terrible grammar.

"Hmmm, dunno. It's not my place." Deep voice answered. He was obviously mentally stronger than his counterpart and probably the boss of these two.

"Curt sure does like 'em young, don't he?"

"Shut up, you fool! Don't you ever say his name!"

"What? She's asleep, you-a said so youself." Raspy came back defensively.

"I said probably, you pea-brain!"

"Ya never did!"

"Shut up, you idiot, moron!"

Their bickering continued as they left the room, their stench following them as they clanged the door shut. Sam sighed with deep relief, but her mind was filled with turmoil. Curt? That sounded awfully familiar; like someone she sure did not want to think about.

_Curtis Flickinger is in jail, it isn't possible!_ Her brain kept screaming. It just had to be a coincidence that this guy, their "boss," had a similar name.

It just had to be.

---

Red, blue. Red, blue. Jake's vision was locked on the flashing police lights as Wyatt talked to the new sheriff. It had been only three hours since they had noticed Sam's disappearance and despite regular protocol the police arrived only half an hour after they called. Each member of the family had been questioned as well as all those present at the cattle drive. The Kenworthys, the Elys, Ryan and Rachael Slocum, Dr. Scott and every other member of the cattle drive had left morosely leaving the saddened Forsters behind, as well as Jake. He couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. He held on to the hope that the police would need his help despite having been told that his services were not needed. They had told him to leave it be… not to take matters into his own hands, but to let the professionals handle it. If only Heck Ballard was still the sheriff, things would have been different. He would have been allowed to join the search party and he knew he would have been able to find her. Wyatt walked away from Sheriff Lawrie and towards the circle where his family stood with Jake on the periphery.

"They're looking, but they still haven't found anything. No tracks, no clues, nothing…" He rubbed a hand over his tired, worn face and Jake could have sworn there were more wrinkles in

his tanned face than before. "I don't know what to do."

A tear-stained Brynna put her arm around her forlorn husband.

"There's nothing we can do right now except pray and trust that the police officers will be able to find her." With this, she buried her face into his shirt and collapsed into sobs. Grace mirrored her movement except she cried on Dallas' shirt and the grizzly old cowboy patted her back soothingly, all the while murmuring comforting words. It was silent for a full moment before Jake spoke.

"I'm going after her."

Everyone looked at him, astonished.

"You can't, it's dangerous!"

"Jake, no, the police said…"

"I don't care what the Sheriff Lawrie said!" Jake waved his arm impatiently. "I know I can find her. They just don't understand tracking and that's why they can't find anything. _I_ do. _I _know tracks. I can do this." His voice was strong and confident.

Wyatt moved over to the tall, young man.

"What do you want us to do?"

---

Sam rocked back on her heels and sighed. Her fingers were bleeding and scraped up. The crack in the wall was bigger and it looked like the plank was almost loose, but it was a long, slow process. Thankfully, neither Raspy nor Deep Voice had returned. Not long after they had checked on her, she heard them leave the creaky shack and drive away in a rusty old vehicle with a terrible backfire. She wiped her arm over her brow, succeeding only in transferring more sweat and dirt from her arm to her forehead. The sweat stung her cuts and caused her to cringe slightly. She was unsure of how long she had been going at it, or how long she'd been a captive of these two cretins. The darkening sky had only a sliver of pink on the horizon as the sun made its way down the western sky. Her escape would be easier in the dark, but trying to open the wall was harder in the fading light.

A larger chunk of the wall came off in her hands with a loud crack. It was a good thing her two captors were bumbling idiots and had chosen the most rickety, falling-apart cabin they could find. And that they sucked at tying ropes. She could now stick her entire head out the wall. She worked faster at the sides, trying to make the hole large enough for her entire body. While she had been working, she had been thinking about the reasons she had been captured. The men had said Curt. Okay, so maybe it was Curtis Flickinger, even though he was in prison. Perhaps he was communicating with some of his buddies from the prison. Even in prison he was trying to get back at her, but then again…they had said she didn't look like "her." Her hair wasn't a dark enough brown. Ok, well several girls in Darton and on the cattle drive had dark brown hair. Obviously it had to be someone who knew when the cattle drive was and how it worked and that fit Flick perfectly. And then there was the motive. Kidnappings usually happened for ransom, but Sam knew her family would never be able to pay any kind ransom. They barely made it by on what Wyatt made each year with his cattle. The only rich ones in the area were Ryan and…

Suddenly it clicked. A dark-brown haired girl who was in some way connected to Flick who would have money for ransom and therefore a motive to kidnap her. Rachael Slocum fit all these criteria and furthermore, she had been on the cattle drive during her vacation back in Nevada. She had come from London about a month ago, claiming she wanted to take a "vacation" from the Slocum mother. She had stayed hidden in the mansion most of the time and shocked everyone when she mentioned she wanted to come on the cattle drive. Okay…so Rachael was the target, but why had the kidnappers taken Sam instead? She didn't look a thing like the spoiled, rich girl. Better yet, how did they know the little brat was going to be on the cattle drive? She'd never been on one before in her entire life. These questions and more were driving her insane as Sam worked at the rotten wood.

Still…her conclusion was making more and more sense as she thought about it.

It didn't matter right now. She just needed to escape; to get out of this dingy stink-hole and back to her beloved Jake. And now she was determined. Her dad would let them be together. She would make sure of it. It took having your life threatened to realize just how important love really was. And now she realized that she didn't want to wait any longer to marry the man she loved. Her eyes misted, but her jaw grit with determination.

She was getting out and she was getting out now.


	6. The Finale

**A/N: Disclaimer: I guess I should add that I do not own any of the characters or any of the Phantom Stallion storyline. It all belongs to Terri Farley. So don't sue me, I'm poor.**

**Ok, so this is the end of this story. Sorry if you're disappointed. I am, but I just got bored of the story. I have way too many others to write right now and I lost my muse! So, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I didn't make too many mistakes. It is the middle of the night and I'm tired, but I just want it done. **

**Also, there's one sentence in here from Pride and Prejudice. I'm sure you'll be able to pick it out. **** I'll see you again soon! I do have more stories…no worries!**

---

It hurt to think, it hurt to breathe.

_So this is death_, Sam thought.

She lay curled up on the dark _playa_, freezing and bloodied. Her fingers curled upon themselves, protecting her raw hands. She'd managed to escape her bumbling captors and the creaky shack where they had held her, but it had taken its toll. And she certainly had no idea where she was; after wondering around in the silky black, cold desert air for hours, she had simply lain down, too tired to go any further. The shock and terror at her kidnapping had taken its toll, the emotional stress and paranoia of an escape left her nerves taught as a frayed wire.

By now, the two morons had probably figured out she was gone and were looking for her. It was simply a matter of time before they found her and when they did, it was plausible that they would kill her. After all, she wasn't the object of ransom for which they had hoped. She was a poor ranchers daughter who had seen both their faces and heard them speaking. She was now useless and a danger to them.

She had given up trying to think of other feasible explanations for her kidnapping and remained with her original theory. It was most likely true. Besides it didn't matter; nothing mattered right now.

_No, Jake matters_, she realized suddenly. She closed her tired, gritty eyes and dreamt of a dark-haired, laconic man with mustang eyes full of love and her heart in his hands.

She felt more than she saw the light through the lids of her closed eyes. _It's the light at the end of the tunnel_…no wait. Shadows moved and crossed the light, making it dance and waver. It was people. They had come back. They had found her. Her mind was almost too tired to make any rational sense. There were two of them and there were definitely more figures before her, but she couldn't think straight. She couldn't think straight…

_Jake, Jake, help me…_

---

Jake swung his heavy flashlight to the right and again to the left. Squinting his eyes he finally saw the tire treads that they had followed until nightfall. The darkness made tracking almost possible. Almost. But for Sam, he would do anything. He forced Witch on, following the faint tracks; the others followed behind him silently. Conversation had been stilted and they had given up hours ago.

Suddenly Witch stumbled and Jake started. He was so tired he hadn't even thought of his horse. He knew he should turn around, go home and try again in the morning. He was almost useless right now. Perhaps the police were right. Perhaps Sheriff Lawrie was right…No. He could find Sam. He always did, didn't he? The cougar attack, the time she had been forced to climb up the cliffside. He could always find her because he knew her. But he didn't know her kidnappers and so it was harder than before to track her now. But still, he knew he could do it. They had a sort of…connection or something. Always had.

The new sheriff and some of the other rookies who didn't know him had muttered under their breaths about a boy with a hero complex, but Jake didn't even bother explaining to them. It wasn't about being a hero. It was about taking care of Sam, something he had promised her and himself that he would do no matter what. They just didn't understand.

So deep in though was he that he barely noticed the incline, but thankfully for him he did. It was too steep to ride up so he dismounted, hearing the others behind him do the same. Clambering up the slanted slope, he suddenly noticed a light and a loud noise coming from a small, rickety cabin that he had never seen before. It was pretty far, but Jake could still tell that there were two men were fighting in front of the open door, the light spilled around them and their elongated shadows dramatically flailed as they motioned their arms wildly.

"Lossed'her? How did we lose her?"

"She escaped through the boards, you idiot!"

"Through them boards? How? Why did we pick this stupid, no-good fer nothin' piece a junk anyhow? It don't stand up fer nothin'!" With this, the taller man kicked the old shack, then jumped back, hopping on one foot and holding the other with his hand, howling all the while.

_She's escaped!_ Jake thought wildly. Hope welled up in him like a fountain and he turned to the people behind him who were listening intently to the two morons arguing.

"They lost her! Which means she's somewhere out on the _playa_, but she's free. If we can get to the cabin, I could look around and find her footprints. I know it!" Excitement coloured his tone, even as Luke shook his dark head.

"No." He said shortly. "We'll call the police. I don't care how many of us there are and how many of them there are. I don't want any casualties on our end." Wyatt nodded agreeing as he brought out a police radio one of the policemen had given them. Frank Debrut was an old friend of both the Forsters and the Elys and he trusted and knew Jake. He also knew Jake was an excellent tracker and so when the youngest Ely had come to him with his plan, Frank had immediately agreed to aid them.

Jake was barely listening as Wyatt talked quietly into the radio and then Frank answered, his voice slightly hissy from static. The older Forster turned back to the group.

"They're coming." He said.

It didn't take long and four police cars surrounded the small cabin. A short time later, the River Bend Ranch and Ely men were gathered in the kitchen. Everyone else in the group had gone home. Jake was pacing angrily as Frank filled them in and Sheriff Lawrie tried to talk over him.

"So we'll get a whole bunch of searchlights…"

"Yes, searchlights, but I insist you all go home!"

"And we'll spread out in the directions she would probably have tak…

"Innocent civilians shouldn't be here trying to do a cop's work! It's called vigilantism!" His face puckered up at the word "innocent." Obviously, Jake tracking to the cabin and going behind his back hadn't made him a happy man. He was so upset he didn't even notice he'd made up a new word.

"Well, if the police won't do anything…"

Luke put a hand on his son's arm, stopping him from saying anything further. Jake returned to his pacing.

Frank continued on, as Lawrie was too upset to speak. His round face was beet red and his hands were clenched into tight fists.

"Look Jake, we can take care of this. Wyatt, I know you want her found now, but lets look at this practically. We have some great trackers here. We'll find her. You folks stay here where it's safe and warm. Let the police handle this."

There was a deafening silence and then everyone minus Jake nodded. He simply gave a curt motion of his head, neither a nod nor a shake. Frank accepted it and the patrol men began to ready themselves.

---

"We found her!" The joyous news came crackling through the radio. Everyone in the ranch jumped to their feet. The golden dawn had appeared an hour ago and now the light glinted off tiny droplets of moisture, dew from the terrifying night before. "EPA five minutes, gentlemen!" There was a panic to get outside. They had travelled from the tiny cabin to River Bend last night when it seemed they were getting nowhere. It had been difficult to convince Wyatt and Jake most of all, but they finally acquiesced and everyone had waited quietly in the sombre ranch house.

Five minutes seemed an eternity, but the gathering finally spotted plumes of dust rising a short distance away. They waited with baited breath until the police utility vehicles stopped before them. The group waiting had grown in size as everyone had been called with the joyous news and it seemed like everyone had sped to get there in five minutes. The Forsters and their cowboys stood at the head of the group with the Elys beside them. Everyone except Jake. He couldn't seem to break through the crowd and he wasn't even sure if Wyatt wanted him to. With all the drama going on, he had completely forgotten that Wyatt now hated him and was refusing to even let him see the older man's daughter. He simply didn't know what he was going to do, so he waited behind the large crowd.

The doors opened and a mad rush ensued. A flurry of hugging arms flailed about as Sam was caught up in her family and friends. She was pale, they noticed, pale and bruised, but she looked alright and by the big grin on her face, she was more than alright. Despite her father's over protective concerns about her "needing space," everyone kept crowding around her. It really didn't bother her, but she kept glancing around…looking, searching for something. They were such small gestures that no one really noticed. No one, but her father.

Wyatt knew immediately what his daughter was searching for and his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. His baby girl was looking for Jake Ely. He was certain of it and this realization made his eyes water. Maybe he'd been wrong…He dropped his little girl's arm and pushed through the crowd, like the parting of the red sea. He walked up to the tall Ely boy who was still lurking at the back, trying to get a good look at the auburn-haired girl. He grabbed Jake's arm and the young man looked at him in surprise. Squeezing his forearm, Wyatt nodded his head towards Sam, motioning for Jake to go to her. His mustang brown eyes widened in surprise as he realized what Wyatt meant and a smile lit up the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you." Was all he said and he glanced up just as Sam looked through the aisle of parted people.

It was as if time itself slowed down. The two lovers locked glance and everyone else seemed to fade away. And then she was running, she didn't know how, but his arms were open and he jogged towards her. He caught her up and spun her around; her feet didn't even touch any of the spectators. Putting her down gently, he cupped her face in his large, calloused hands and ran a roughened thump over her delicate cheek. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't seem to get the words out. Sam gripped the front of his shirt tightly and nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

She understood what he meant. That was why they were perfect together. Not a single word was needed. And with that thought, Jake lowered his head and met her lips with his in a single perfect kiss. Those around them applauded, even Wyatt, as tears filled his wizened eyes and his redheaded wife put her arm around his waist.

"You always knew it was going to be this way. Why did you ever try to fight it?"

"Honestly? I don't have a clue…"

---

Jake pulled Sam closer to himself as they twirled around the dance floor. He couldn't help but admire her in her beautiful white gown, with her auburn hair tumbling down her back. She was beautiful. And she was his.

Samantha Ely.

It sounded just perfect to Sam. She looked up at her tall, dark husband with love in her eyes. Was it possible to die of happiness? She sighed contentedly and leaned her head against his broad chest. He chuckled, the deep sound rumbling and leaned his head on hers.

It really had all worked out in the end. They had found out it was indeed Curtis Flickinger who had hired the two clowns who were now in police custody. Despite being in jail, the rustler was trying everything to gain his fortune. Even kidnapping the daughter of a rich, imprisoned millionaire. He was given an extra sentence for conspiracy of attempted kidnapping and restricted visiting and general access privileges.

Wyatt had heartedly given them his permission after seeing what they had gone through being apart. His hard heart had been softened by the love he had witnessed and two months later; here they were, whirling around the dance floor at a beautiful wedding.

But these were the last things on the minds of this couple as Jake stopped mid-stride and leaned down to kiss his petite wife. Of course, she didn't seem to mind at all….

THE END


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